A SURGE in cruise liner demand will help a port enjoy a record year – reflecting a promise its boss made to The Northern Echo just weeks ago.

The Port of Tyne says more than 50 cruisers will arrive in the region this year, with Thomson Cruises making the site its sole UK departure port and operators Fred Olsen and Cruise and Maritime Voyages returning.

Last year, the port welcomed an all-time high of 44 cruise ships, overseeing the busiest ever day at its International Passenger Terminal when five vessels and thousands of passengers docked.

That fleet included the Koningsdam, larger than the QE2 at 297.2 metres, which became the biggest liner to visit the port, and at the time, Andrew Moffat, chief executive, told the Echo he was confident more vessels would arrive in 2017, confirming in excess of 50 were booked in.

He said: “The market is growing and we are getting a growing share; it’s great for the port and even better for the region.

“We’ve got people coming here from the US, Canada and Korea.

“These services are important because of the economic value added when they go to attractions we know and love, such as Alnwick Castle.

“The impact on the local economy is estimated at around £50m each year, supporting 1,700 jobs.”

According to port officials, holidaymakers are taking advantage of the convenience the Tyneside port brings in starting trips to Scandinavia, the Baltics and Iceland.

The port is also ploughing on with expansion plans to replace a dramatic reduction in coal imports with wood pellets.

Building new facilities to handle, store and transport pellets for Lynemouth Power Limited, which is converting a power station in Northumberland from coal to biomass, officials say the venture will create and support jobs for years to come.